Sometime polls and surveys are wrong.
Take the 2012 Alberta provincial election. The vast majority of media organizations predicted the Wild Rose party would win the election. Why? Because that is what the polls told them.
That is not the only example. In recent history there are countless examples where reputable polling companies, who supposedly know all the latest techniques, get public opinion wrong.
And we here at the Barrhead Leader hope a poll released by Mainstreet Research is just as flawed, because if is, the province has a serious and potentially life threatening issue.
In late November, the company polled more than 1,200 people of driving age from all over the province, if they would consider driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol if the destination was close enough and the road was quiet enough and almost one in five answered they would.
What might even be more disturbing is the survey reports that close to 10 per cent of Alberta drivers admit to driving while under the influence, with close to half of that number occurring in the last five years.
Unfortunately the editorial staff at the Leader believes the numbers in Barrhead are similar, if not even greater than those found by Mainstreet Research.
As our regular readers know, Barrhead Leader reporters often find evidence of drinking at public venues, where such activities are forbidden.
Sporting events are especially problematic. Anyone attending a Barrhead Orioles senior mens’ baseball game or Steelers game know alcohol consumption is a common occurrence.
Yes, it can be argued that alcohol is legally sold at larger sporting venues and that if a person was attending an Oilers or Eskimos game they would be able to have a beer or two without any issue. In order to serve alcohol at these events, businesses have to go through a number of hoops to help ensure they are serving alcoholic beverages responsibility. Even so, anyone attending a professional sports game can tell you a story about fans who have had one too many beverages.
However, the Barrhead Sportsgrounds or Agrena is not Commonwealth Stadium and doesn’t have the same checks. It is a public park and should be treated as such.
Alcohol is a serious subject and its consumption, if abused, can have serious consequences. Not only for the user, but for others. That is why we were so pleased to find out the Barrhead recreation department is attempting to curb illegal consumption through random inspections and subsequent confiscations.
That being said, they shouldn’t have to, so in 2017 let us all make it our resolution not to drink or consume alcohol or drugs at inappropriate times or places.
